Nested intrashelf platform clinoforms—Evidence of shelf platform growth exemplified by Lower Cretaceous strata in the Barents Sea

Two nested clinoform set types of different scales and steepness are mapped and analysed from high-resolution seismic data. Restoration of post-depositional faulting reveals a persistent pattern of small-scale, high-angle clinoforms contained within platform-scale, low-angle clinothems, showing a combined overall progradational depositional system. The large clinoforms lack a well-defined platform edge, and show a gradual increase in dip from topset to foreset. A consistent recurring stratal pattern is evident from the architecture, and is considered a result of interplay between relative sea-level change and autocyclic switching of sediment delivery focal points that brought sediment to the platform edge. This un-interrupted succession records how intra-shelf platforms prograde. Quantitative clinoform analysis may assist in determining the most influential depositional factors. Post-depositional uplift and erosion requires restoration with re-burial to maximum burial depth. Backstripping, decompaction and isostatic correction was performed assuming a range of lithologic compositions, as no wells test the lithology. Nearby wells penetrate strata basinward of the clinoforms, proving mudstone content above 50%, which in turn guide restoration values. Typical restored platform heights are 250–300 m, with correspondingly sized platform-scale clinoform heights. Typical large-scale clinoform foreset dip values are 1.3°–2.4°. Small-scale clinothems are typically 100 m thick, with restored foreset dip angles at 4.4° - > 10°. The results suggest that intrashelf platform growth occurs in pulses interrupted by draping of strata over its clinoform profile. The resultant architecture comprises small-scale clinoforms nested within platform-scale clinothems.     

Shaking and splashing—A case study of far-field effects of the Mjølnir asteroid impact on depositional environments in the Barents Sea

The Mjølnir impact crater in the Norwegian Barents Sea features among the 20 largest impact craters listed in the Earth Impact Database. The impact is dated to 142 ± 2.6 Ma, corresponding closely to the Jurassic/Cretaceous boundary in the Boreal stratigraphy. Multidisciplinary studies carried out over the last three decades have suggested that the up to 40 km wide crater was created by a 1–3 km diameter impactor colliding with a shallow epicontinental sea, causing regional havoc and a regional ecological crisis that followed in its wake. Only minor evidence for the consequences of the impact for the surrounding depositional basins has been documented so far. This study describes a large submarine slump penetrated by hydrocarbon exploration well 7121/9-1, located in the southern Hammerfest Basin and approximately 350 km away from the impact site. The slump is dated by a black shale drape, which contains characteristic impact-related biotic assemblages and potential ejecta material. This precise dating enables us to associate the slump with large-scale fault movements and footwall collapse along the basin-bounding Troms-Finnmark Fault Complex, which we conclude were caused by shock waves from the Mjølnir impact and the passage of associated tsunami trains. The draping black shale is interpreted to represent significant reworking of material from the contemporary seabed by tsunamis and currents set up by the impact.     

Spatiotemporal patterns of tropical deforestation and forest degradation in response to the operation of the Tucuruí hydroelectric dam in the Amazon basin

The planned construction of hundreds of hydroelectric dams in the Amazon basin has the potential to provide invaluable ‘clean’ energy resources for aiding in securing future regional energy needs and continued economic growth. These mega-structures, however, directly and indirectly interfere with natural ecosystem dynamics, and can cause noticeable tree loss. To improve our understanding of how hydroelectric dams affect the surrounding spatiotemporal patterns of forest disturbances, this case study integrated remote sensing spectral mixture analysis, GIS proximity analysis and statistical hypothesis testing to extract and evaluate spatially-explicit patterns of deforestation (clearing of entire forest patch) and forest degradation (reduced tree density) in the 80,000 km² neighborhoods of the Brazil's Tucuruí Dam, the first large-scale hydroelectric project in the Amazon region, over a period of 25 years from 1988 to 2013. Results show that the average rates of deforestation were consistent during the first three time periods 1988–1995 (620 km² per year), 1995–2001 (591 km² per year), and 2001–2008 (660 km² per year). However, such rate dramatically fell to half of historical levels after 2008, possibly reflecting the 2008 global economic crisis and enforcement of the Brazilian Law of Environmental Crimes. The rate of forest degradation was relatively stable from 1988 to 2013 and, on average, was 17.8% of the rate of deforestation. Deforestation and forest degradation were found to follow similar spatial patterns across the dam neighborhoods, upstream reaches or downstream reaches at the distances of 5 km–80 km, suggesting that small and large-scale forest disturbances may have been influencing each other in the vicinity of the dam. We further found that the neighborhoods of the Tucuruí Dam and the upstream region experienced similar degrees of canopy loss. Such loss was mainly attributed to the fast expansion of the Tucuruí town, and the intensive logging activities alongside major roads in the upstream reservoir region. In contrast, a significantly lower level of forest disturbance was discovered in the downstream region.     

Quaternary basin evolution and present tectonic regime in the area of the 1997–1998 Umbria–Marche seismic sequence (central Italy)

Geological and geomorphological surveys have been performed in the area affected by the 1997–1998 Umbria–Marche seismic sequence (M_max=6.0) aimed at defining the Quaternary tectonic history and the characteristics of the present tectonic regime. Data have been collected from: (1) the analysis of the remnant landsurfaces by means of aerial photos and field surveys; (2) geological surveys in the Cesi–San Martino basin and in the easternmost sector of the Colfiorito basin in order to identify deformative features affecting the Quaternary deposits; (3) the analysis of boreholes and geo-electrical data (derived from previous surveys performed in the 1960s) in order to reconstruct the top of the pre-Quaternary substratum in the Colfiorito basin. Two different successions of remnant landsurfaces have been identified along the faults bounding the basins to the east, in the hangingwall and the footwall, respectively. The difference accounts for a fault-controlled evolution of the landscape at least during the Upper Pliocene–Early Pleistocene. The deformation affecting the Quaternary deposits and landforms in the investigated basins indicates a decreasing tectonic activity along the master faults since the Middle Pleistocene. Surface deformation due to tectonics is faint and displayed by gentle warping of the landforms during the late Quaternary. As for the basin geometry, subsurface data show that two minor depressions formed in the Colfiorito Basin during the Quaternary, the oldest one close to the fault bounding the basin, while the youngest (and deepest) formed in the inner portion of the basin. Therefore, the present geometry is different from that of other fault-bounded Quaternary depressions of the central Apennines (typically half-graben basins), showing the maximum depth of the substratum in the area close to the master fault. Tectonic history may be summarised as follows: (1) origin of the Quaternary fault-bounded Colfiorito and Cesi–San Martino basins; (2) evolution of the basins with a half-graben style; (3) significant reduction of tectonic activity since the Middle Pleistocene. During the third phase, the evolution of the basins is no longer related to a half-graben style. In the case of the Colfiorito basin, a new depression is superimposed to on the previous half-graben whose evolution is related to the lowering of the inner portion of the basin through warping. Moreover, present activity does not result in fault-related surficial displacements but only in “continuous” deformation spread over the basins. These conclusions have fundamental implications for the seismotectonic framework of the 1997–1998 earthquake sequence. This deformation style is, indeed, in agreement with the coseismic deformation modelled by means of the SAR interferometry analyses carried out by other institutions during the seismic sequence, and with the lack of evident surface faulting related to the mentioned events in the investigated area. This evidence indicates that the evolution of the investigated area since the Middle Pleistocene resulted from the summation of deformative episodes similar to that which occurred during the recent seismic sequence. As a consequence, no earthquakes with magnitude larger than 6 are expected in the area.     

Reclamation and revolt: Social responses in Eastern Inner Mongolia to flood/drought-induced refugees from the North China Plain 1644–1911

In the present study, Eastern Inner Mongolia (EIM) and the North China Plain (NCP) during the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911) were selected as study areas. Based on records of agricultural exploitation, settlement expansion, and revolts obtained from the Veritable Records of the Qing Dynasty (a collection of official records), a collection of proxy data reflecting historical social change in EIM was gathered. The social response in EIM to the immigrants from the NCP, who were mainly destitute and homeless refugees and came into EIM under the acquiescence or even with the encouragement of the government in and after a severe flood or drought, was analysed by comparing the data on climatic factors as well as changes in governmental policy. The results indicated that social response was significantly dependent on phase changes. In the 18th century, immigrants from the NCP promoted the reclamation of EIM, which was a pastoral region throughout the 17th century and displayed agricultural prosperity, settlement expansion, and positive regional interactions. However, from the beginning of the 19th century, agriculture declined and settlement slowed. Immigrants intensified local social contradictions in EIM, which led to a series of armed revolts and collapse in the late 19th century. This transformation was affected by both natural and human factors, especially periodic fluctuations in temperature, which significantly affected land use and environmental capacity in EIM by controlling the location of the agro-pastoral transitional zone, and the implementation and repeal of quarantine policy, which immediately affected the extent of immigration in EIM.     

Residents’ perspectives and responses to environmental degradation in the upper Dadu River, eastern Tibetan Plateau

1 Introduction Driven by interactions of climate change, policy introduction, population pressure and overstocking, many fragile ecotones on the Tibetan Plateau have undergone fast land cover changes, such as deforestation, meadow degeneration or even des…     

Geochemical responses to paleoclimatic changes in southern Sweden since the late glacial: the Hässeldala Port lake sediment record

There is a relatively good understanding of the paleoenvironmental changes that have occurred in southern Sweden since the Late Glacial. A main exception, however, is the sedimentary response of lacustrine systems during this period of rapid climate shifts. To address this, high-resolution X-ray fluorescence core scanning, Total Organic Carbon (TOC), C/N and δ¹³C analyses were made on a core from Hässeldala Port, a paleolake in the region. Site-specific geochemical analyses documented variations in silicate inputs (Zr/Ti, Si/Ti, K/Ti and K/Rb), productivity (TOC, Ca/Ti and Sr/Ti), as well as redox conditions in the sediment (δ¹³C, Mn/Ti and Fe/Ti), which were then linked to the regional climatic framework. During the Bølling/Older Dryas sediment accumulation was at its highest, particularly prior to colonization by terrestrial vegetation, and hydrological transport dominated. No clear signal of the Older Dryas was detected in the elemental chemistry. The Allerød was a period of relatively constant sediment accumulation, with the exception of during the Gerzensee oscillation when rates increased. There is evidence for increased within-lake and -catchment productivity and a change in silicate source during parts of the Allerød. As opposed to other records from the region, constant sediment accumulation rates were found during the Younger Dryas. Other proxies also suggest that this was a rather static period at Hässeldala Port. A gradual change in productivity and hydrological activity was observed from 12,000 cal year BP. The Preboreal section is rather short but the geochemical response was similar to that seen during other periods with milder climate conditions. The geochemical record archived in the sediments at Hässeldala Port was found to be the integrated result of physical erosion, landscape and soil development, vegetation changes, basin hydrology and moisture and temperature variations and it fills an important information gap in our understanding of the geochemical response of lake sediments to past climate change.     

Diatom responses to environmental changes in the Upper Paraná River floodplain (Brazil) during the last ~ 1000 years

The floodplain of the Upper Paraná River, Brazil, is strongly influenced by hydrology, which in turn affects geomorphological and environmental conditions, and controls the form of islands in the river. Such islands develop by deposition of river-borne sediment that creates small lateral sediment bars. Geomorphological processes can produce a variety of aquatic environments on such islands, e.g. channels, backwaters, lakes, transitional areas, and swamps. Our objective was to test whether subfossil diatoms preserved in the sediment on an island in the Upper Paraná River floodplain responded to changes in limnological conditions brought about by such geomorphological modifications. We hypothesized that the composition of diatom assemblages in the sediment shifted in response to past geomorphic, and hence limnological conditions. We analyzed diatom subfossils in a 2-m-long sediment core with a calibrated date near the base of 1047–1224 cal yr AD. Absence of diatoms at the bottom of the sequence was associated with the channel phase, followed by appearance of diatoms 1229–1381 cal yr AD that were adapted to flow, in the backwater phase. After another 100–200 years, presence of Eunotia species in the lake phase suggests a decrease in pH, phosphorus and nitrogen. Replacement of Eunotia spp. by Diadesmis species, following a transition phase, suggests different environmental conditions, with reduced water depth. Diatoms in surface deposits are distinct from assemblages in the other phases in the core and contain taxa that suggest a disturbed environment, with variations in water depth and flow. The data illustrate the importance of physical and hydrological factors in shaping diatom communities and show the utility of diatoms as bioindicators in this floodplain environment.     

Inuit landscape use and responses to climate change in the Wollaston Forland—Clavering Ø region,Northeast Greenland

Geografisk Tidsskrift—Danish Journal of Geography 110(2):155–174, 2010

The Thule culture of the Wollaston-Clavering Ø area is analysed and their settlement pattern as recorded within the area is presented and analysed in relation to the following high arctic seasons: winter, spring and summer. From the analysis it is seen that a defined and stable seasonal mobility between coast, fjords and inland existed and that the “Sirius Water Polynya” off Wollaston Forland and Sabine Ø, holds the key to understanding the human economy and settlement patterns in the research area, as well as in the region.

The cooling of the Little Ice Age, interpreted from the analysed data, does not affect the Inuit exploitation of the research area or their material culture in general. The main Inuit response to the cooling is migration, a response that can only be analysed when Northeast Greenland is studied regionally and interregionally. As migration is defined as an important part of prehistoric ‘Inuit being’, the Inuit made no additional strategies or inventions during the LIA. Inuit migration is, in this way, demonstrated to be a substantial contributor to the Inuit's cultural resilience and to their long-term existence in the Arctic.     

An analytic solution to the alibi query in the space–time prisms model for moving object data

Moving objects produce trajectories, which are stored in databases by means of finite samples of time-stamped locations. When speed limitations in these sample points are also known, space–time prisms (also called beads) (Pfoser and Jensen 1999 Pfoser, D. and Jensen, C.S. 1999. “Capturing the uncertainty of moving-object representations”. In Advances in spatial databases (SSD’99), Hong Kong, China, July 20–23, 1999, Vol. 1651, 111–132. Lecture notes in Computer Science.  [Google Scholar], Egenhofer 2003 Egenhofer, M. 2003. “Approximation of geopatial lifelines”. In SpadaGIS, workshop on spatial data and geographic information systsems, 4SpaDaGIS–Workshop on Spatial Data and Geographic Information Systems, Milano, Italy, March 2003. University of Genova.  [Google Scholar], Miller 2005 Miller, H. 2005. A measurement theory for time geography. Geographical Analysis, 37(1): 17–45. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) can be used to model the uncertainty about an object's location in between sample points. In this setting, a query of particular interest that has been studied in the literature of geographic information systems (GIS) is the alibi query. This boolean query asks whether two moving objects could have physically met. This adds up to deciding whether the chains of space–time prisms (also called necklaces of beads) of these objects intersect. This problem can be reduced to deciding whether two space–time prisms intersect.

The alibi query can be seen as a constraint database query. In the constraint database model, spatial and spatiotemporal data are stored by boolean combinations of polynomial equalities and inequalities over the real numbers. The relational calculus augmented with polynomial constraints is the standard first-order query language for constraint databases and the alibi query can be expressed in it. The evaluation of the alibi query in the constraint database model relies on the elimination of a block of three exªistential quantifiers. Implementations of general purpose elimination algorithms, such as those provided by QEPCAD, Redlog, and Mathematica, are, for practical purposes, too slow in answering the alibi query for two specific space–time prisms. These software packages completely fail to answer the alibi query in the parametric case (i.e., when it is formulated in terms of parameters representing the sample points and speed constraints).

The main contribution of this article is an analytical solution to the parametric alibi query, which can be used to answer the alibi query on two specific space–time prisms in constant time (a matter of milliseconds in our implementation). It solves the alibi query for chains of space–time prisms in time proportional to the sum of the lengths of the chains. To back this claim up, we implemented our method in Mathematica alongside the traditional quantifier elimination method. The solutions we propose are based on the geometric argumentation and they illustrate the fact that some practical problems require creative solutions, where at least in theory, existing systems could provide a solution.     

Authigenic clays in East Africa: Regional trends and paleolimnology at the Plio–Pleistocene boundary, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania

Ultrafine clays (<0.1 m) from six East African basins show wide chemical variability that can be conveniently described as the octahedral cation index (OCI), calculated as octahedral element ratio Mg/(Al+Fe). Values range from dioctahedral clays with OCI < 0.1 (upland soils/detrital sources) to trioctahedral clays with OCI > 4 (saline, alkaline lake deposits). The association of Mg-rich clays with saline, alkaline conditions provides a paleochemical proxy in sedimentary contexts. The octahedral chemistry of central-basin clays from paleolake Olduvai (1.79 Ma) records two lake expansions, with an intervening lake contraction, over 18,000 years. The initial lake expansion correlates well with the marine record of increased African humidity, but the subsequent drying episode does not, suggesting that some high-frequency environmental oscillations in East Africa may occur independent of obliquity and precession control. The clay record correlates well with the fossiliferous and archaeologically rich stratigraphy of the lake margin, and suggests that fossils and artifacts accumulated on the exposed lake margin over <4000 years. The chemistry of clays is a potentially powerful tool to add to multi-proxy studies in basins with alkaline waters, particularly in stratigraphic intervals that lack pollen, calcareous, or siliceous microfossils.     

Geography Deserts: State and Regional Variation in the Formal Opportunity to Learn Geography in the United States, 2005–2015

The formal opportunity to learn geography in the United States is unevenly distributed across space, creating possible geography deserts. Data on the number of exams taken in Advanced Placement Human Geography (APHG) and bachelor’s degrees earned in geography are mapped at the state and regional scales. Normalized rates are ranked and grouped into quintiles. For APHG exams, states in the southeastern region of the United States are in the uppermost quintiles while states in the northeastern region are in the lowermost quintiles. The pattern for bachelor’s degrees in geography is somewhat the spatial inverse of that for APHG.     

The significance of atmospheric nutrient inputs and canopy interception of precipitation during ecosystem development in piñon–juniper woodlands of the southwestern USA

In arid ecosystems, widely spaced vegetation and prolonged dry periods may enhance canopy capture of nutrients from dry deposition. Additionally, differences in precipitation type, plant canopy architecture, and soil nutrient limitation could affect canopy exchange of atmospherically derived nutrients. We collected bulk precipitation and throughfall underneath piñon pine (Pinus edulis) and one-seed juniper (Juniperus monosperma) along a substrate age gradient to determine if canopy interception or throughfall chemistry differed among tree species, season, or substrate age. The Substrate Age Gradient of Arizona consists of four sites with substrate ages ranging from 1 ky to 3000 ky-old, which exhibit classic variations in soil nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) availability with substrate age. Greater nutrient inputs below canopies than in intercanopy areas suggest throughfall contributes to the “islands of fertility” effect. Canopy interception of precipitation did not differ between tree species, but was greater in the summer/fall than winter/spring. We found that net canopy retention of atmospherically derived N was generally greater when N availability in the soil was low, but retention also occurred when N availability was relatively high. Taken together, our results were inconclusive in determining whether the degree of soil nutrient limitation alters canopy exchange of plant growth-limiting nutrients.     

Simulating a seismic series using geostatistical and stochastic methods: application to the seismic series in the Alborán Sea (1997 June 24–?)

Seismic series can be taken as examples of correlated unstationary sets of time-stochastic sequences. We investigate the possibility of estimating what is most probable to occur subsequently, if we know the events that have occurred up to a given moment.
The stochastic methods can be used with data of the seismic series, irrespective of their genesis and origin. Using three stochastic methods, namely (1) simulating the likelihood of occurrence by conditional geostatistical simulation; (2) developing a stochastic analysis of the energy release by means of energy packages; and (3) calculating the occurrence time of the most probable next earthquake, we were able to simulate the occurrence of earthquakes that took place during the Alborán Sea seismic series (1997–1998).
We conclude that it is possible to set limits on the time of occurrence and energy release, understood as the magnitude of the most probable earthquake, during the development of a seismic sequence and prior to the actual occurrence of the earthquake.     

Prediction of the calcium carbonate budget in a sedimentary basin: A “source-to-sink” approach applied to Great Salt Lake,Utah, USA

Most source-to-sink studies typically focus on the dynamics of clastic sediments and consider erosion, transport and deposition of sediment particles as the sole contributors. Although often neglected, dissolved solids produced by weathering processes contribute significantly in the sedimentary dynamics of basins, supporting chemical and/or biological precipitation. Calcium ions are usually a major dissolved constituent of water drained through the watershed and may facilitate the precipitation of calcium carbonate when supersaturating conditions are reached. The high mobility of Ca²⁺ ions may cause outflow from an open system and consequently loss. In contrast, in closed basins, all dissolved (i.e. non-volatile) inputs converge at the lowest point of the basin. The endoreic Great Salt Lake basin constitutes an excellent natural laboratory to study the dynamics of calcium on a basin scale, from the erosion and transport through the watershed to the sink, including sedimentation in lake's waterbody. The current investigation focused on the Holocene epoch. Despite successive lake level fluctuations (amplitude around 10 m), the average water level seems to have not been affected by any significant long-term change (i.e. no increasing or decreasing trend, but fairly stable across the Holocene). Weathering of calcium-rich minerals in the watershed mobilizes Ca²⁺ ions that are transported by surface streams and subsurface flow to the Great Salt Lake (GSL). Monitoring data of these flows was corrected for recent anthropogenic activity (river management) and combined with direct precipitation (i.e. rain and snow) and atmospheric dust income into the lake, allowing estimating the amount of calcium delivered to the GSL. These values were then extrapolated through the Holocene period and compared to the estimated amount of calcium stored in GSL water column, porewater and sediments (using hydrochemical, mapping, coring and petrophysical estimates). The similar estimate of calcium delivered (4.88 Gt) and calcium stored (3.94 Gt) is consistent with the premise of the source-to-sink approach: a mass balance between eroded and transported compounds and the sinks. The amount of calcium deposited in the basin can therefore be predicted indirectly from the different inputs, which can be assessed with more confidence. When monitoring is unavailable (e.g. in the fossil record), the geodynamic context, the average lithology of the watershed and the bioclimatic classification of an endoreic basin are alternative properties that may be used to estimate the inputs. We show that this approach is sufficiently accurate to predict the amount of calcium captured in a basin and can be extended to the whole fossil record and inform on the storage of calcium.     

Atmospheric insight to climatic signals of δ~(18)O in a Laohugou ice core in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau during 1960–2006

δ~(18)O variations;;ice core;;outgoing longwave radiation;;meridional wind;;northeastern Tibetan Plateau     

Response of diatom community in Lugu Lake (Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau,China) to climate change over the past century

A mean annual temperature increase has been recorded on the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau of China during the last century. This temperature increase has been significantly greater since the 1950s. Thus, paleolimnological analyses may be utilized to better understand ecological responses to recent changing climate over decadal to centennial timescales, especially in regions with sparse lake monitoring data. Here, we present paleolimnological results from a ²¹⁰Pb/¹³⁷Cs-dated sediment core spanning approximately the last ~250 years from a remote, alpine, semi-closed oligotrophic lake (Lugu Lake) on the northwestern Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau. Sediment profiles of diatoms, geochemical variables (LOI₅₅₀, TOC and C/N) and median grain size were analyzed and compared with the climate data (1951 AD–2010 AD) from the Lijiang weather station. Endogenous productivity of Lugu Lake has increased gradually over the last 30 years. The majority of diatom taxa encountered in the core are typical of alkaline oligotrophic lakes. Diatom assemblages were dominated by Cyclostephanos dubius, Cyclotella taxa, and fragilarioid taxa. Diatom species composition has changed significantly with three assemblage shifts at different scales over the ~250-year period. Diatom species diversity reveals a distinct increase before ~1970 AD, followed by a decline. In addition, a decreasing trend in diatom cell-size was consistent with recent warming trends. Redundancy analysis (RDA) shows that regional air temperature trends (annual, spring, summer, and winter) have played a significant role (p < 0.05) in determining diatom compositional changes over the past six decades. Results of this study suggest that regional warming is the main driving force behind recent changes in diatom composition at Lugu Lake, while nutrients may also have impact on the diatom change in recent 10 years.     

Spatiotemporal variability in tree ring’s δ13C of Picea crassifolia in the Qilian Mountains: climatic significance and responses to rising CO2

The carbon isotopic composition (δ¹³C) of tree rings was used to assess changes in intrinsic water-use efficiency (W_i) to increasing atmospheric CO₂ and climate change during the period of 1891–2003. Five Qinghai spruce (Picea crassifolia) stands were selected in the Qilian Mountains, growing along a precipitation gradient. All five δ¹³C were correlated to each other, but two sites (DDS and CLS), which are far from the main body of the mountains, show relative weak connections to other sites. Although trees at all sites had improved their W_i in response to increasing atmospheric CO₂ concentration, spruce growing in the regions far away from the main body of the mountains were less sensitive to improved W_i than those of other sites. Based on the correlation between carbon isotope discrimination (Δ) and Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI), the drought history covering the period of 1891–2003 was reconstructed in the study region. The two most severe drought epochs of the late 1920s and the last decade were caused by reduced precipitation and climate warming, respectively. Our results will be useful in assessing any further spatial climate-related bioclimatic information.     

The role of visualisation in the choice of stationary non-separable space–time covariance functions: an application to air pollution data

Modelling spatio-temporal dependencies resulting from dynamic processes that evolve in both space and time is essential in many scientific fields. Spatio-temporal Kriging is one of the space–time procedures, which has progressed the most over the last few years. Kriging predictions strongly depend on the covariance function associated with the stochastic process under study. Therefore, the choice of such a covariance function, which is usually based on empirical covariance, is a core aspect in the prediction procedure. As the empirical covariance is not necessarily a permissible covariance function, it is necessary to fit a valid covariance model. Due to the complexity of these valid models in the spatio-temporal case, visualising them is of great help, at least when selecting the set of candidate models to represent the spatio-temporal dependencies suggested by the empirical covariogram. We focus on the visualisation of the most interesting stationary non-separable covariance functions and how they change as their main parameters take different values. We wrote a specialised code for visualisation purposes. In order to illustrate the usefulness of visualisation when choosing the appropriate non-separable spatio-temporal covariance model, we focus on an important pollution problem, namely the levels of carbon monoxide, in the city of Madrid, Spain.     

Competing Place Meanings in Complex Landscapes: A Social–Ecological Approach to Unpacking Community Conservation Outcomes on the Wild Coast,South Africa

Despite a general awareness of the social–ecological complexities within which conservation interventions are embedded, approaches to understanding a diversity of local perspectives of heterogeneous landscapes and how they matter for the outcomes of these interventions are seldom demonstrated. We apply a social–ecological approach to exploring the multiple place meanings related to key landscape elements around a proposed community conservation intervention on the Wild Coast, South Africa, by identifying and analyzing three narratives about this impending change. These narratives mobilize competing meanings of the landscape to argue for or against the conservation project. By linking place meanings to locally defined landscape units (ecotopes), we engage multiple interpretations of the heterogeneous and changing landscape to gain a holistic and more inclusive picture of social–ecological landscape processes such as increasing woodlands and field abandonment. The obstruction of this particular intervention indicates the importance of engaging with multiple cultural values of nature.